Arrangement for cladding a stair

ABSTRACT

An arrangement ( 1 ) for cladding a stair ( 2 ) comprises at least one profiled rail ( 5, 7 ) which can be fixed to a stair ( 2 ). The profiled rail ( 5, 7 ) comprises at least one connecting part ( 17 ) to make it easier to mount the stair cladding. This connecting part ( 17 ) is provided with an undercut groove ( 18 ) or tongue. A cladding element ( 9 ) can be securely clicked into this groove ( 18 ) or tongue by positioning it at an acute angle and then pressing it in.

The invention relates to an arrangement for cladding a stair accordingto the precharacterizing clause of Patent claim 1.

EP 0 773 335 A1 discloses a stair-edge profile which is intended inparticular for renovating stairs. This stair-edge profile consists of abase profile which is fixed to the tread and of a covering profilescrewed thereto. The two profiles are retained against one another in aheight-adjustable manner by means of a screwed connection. The coveringprofile here has downwardly and laterally directed legs which overlapstair-cladding elements. This known stair-edge profile has proved towork well in practice and forms the starting point of the invention.

The object on which the invention is based is to provide an arrangementof the initially mentioned type which is distinguished by simplifiedmounting.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features ofPatent claim 1.

The arrangement according to the invention is used for cladding a stair.This arrangement comprises at least one profiled rail which can be fixedto the stair. It is unimportant here whether the profiled rail isprovided on the outer edge or the inner edge of the stairs. Acorresponding profiled rail is preferably provided on all the edges ofthe stairs. In order to achieve simple and thus cost-effective mountingof the stair cladding, the profiled rail comprises at least oneconnecting part which comprises an undercut groove or tongue. A claddingelement can be securely clicked into this groove or tongue. The claddingelement here is positioned relative to the connecting part at an angleand the cladding element is then pressed into the connecting part. Onlyrelative movements of the two parts are relevant here, with the resultthat it is also conceivable to tilt the connecting part or the profiledrail. Laminate or parquet is particularly suitable as the claddingelement. The cladding element is firmly retained on the profiled rail bymeans of the click connection but can nevertheless be mounted ordemounted with ease. A further advantage is that the profiled rail has asimple and thus cost-effective structure since it can be produced fromonly a single part, if appropriate in one piece.

To prevent the profiled rail from forming a tripping hazard, it isadvantageous if it has its outer side designed flush with the claddingelement. It would be impossible to achieve such a design in the case ofstair-edge profiles of the prior art having covering legs overlappingthe cladding elements. This additional advantage can only be utilized byusing the click connection.

For simple mounting of the profiled rail on the stair, it isadvantageous if the profiled rail comprises at least one retaining legwhich bears a retaining means for fixing to the stair. This retainingleg thus secures the connection to the stair. By contrast, the claddingelements themselves are substantially retained by the profiled rail.

The retaining means are preferably formed by a screw. In this case, thisscrew is concealed by a strip or the cladding element to hide it fromview. When the screw is arranged under the cladding element, no furthermeasures at all are required to cover the screw.

Moreover, it is advantageous if the strip is of anti-slip design. Inthis case, the strip additionally performs the function of increasingthe level of safety when being stepped on. The strip preferably consistsof an elastically deformable material such as rubber or silicone rubber.It is also conceivable to equip the strip with channels running parallelto the longitudinal extent of the edge protector.

Whereas one end of the cladding elements is in each case fixed in theprofiled rail, the opposite end is free. A click connection at theopposite end cannot usefully be achieved, since the width of thecladding elements would then have to be adapted very precisely to therespective geometry of the staircase. However, this is not possible inpractice. For the purpose of fastening the opposite ends of the claddingelements, it is therefore advantageous for the profiled rail to comprisea covering leg which forms an angle with the retaining leg and whichpresses the cladding element against the stair. The cladding elementsare adequately fastened on both sides in this way.

To compensate for dimensional tolerances, it is advantageous if thecovering leg is designed to be springy. Moreover, this facilitatesmounting of the profiled rail since mounting thereof no longer has totake place so exactly.

It also arises when renovating stairs to find stairs that are formedwith an overhang in the region of the tread. In this case, the claddingfor the riser is preferably oriented at an acute angle to the vertical.To ensure that a secure click connection with respect to the profiledrail can be achieved in this mounting position too, it is advantageousif a spring element is provided between the retaining leg and theconnecting part. This spring element is used substantially to adapt theangle of the connecting part and consequently that of the claddingelement clicked therein.

To further increase the security of the connection, it is advantageousif the connecting part is arranged in such a way that the claddingelement extends at an acute angle to the riser. Particularly when usingthe abovementioned spring element, it is possible in this waynevertheless to provide vertical mounting for the riser without problemsarising here with the click connection.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will bepresented in the detailed description below with the aid of theassociated figures, in which a number of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention are contained. However, it should be understood thatthe drawing serves only for the purpose of illustrating the inventionand does not restrict the scope of protection of the invention.

IN THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a sectional representation of a first embodiment of anarrangement for cladding a stair, and

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the arrangement according to FIG. 1.

An arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1 is used for cladding a stair 2. Thestair 2 consists of a substantially horizontal tread 3 and of asubstantially vertical riser 4. The treads 3 show unsightly signs ofwear particularly after the stairs have been used over a long period oftime, making renovation necessary. This generally involves laying a newcladding on the stair 2 to keep the renovation costs within reasonablelimits. Moreover, the valuable core of the stairs is preserved in thisway.

The arrangement 1 consists of a profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 ofthe stair 2 and of a profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 of the stair2. Cladding elements 9, which clad the stair 2 with the desired newsurface, are retained on each of the profiled rails 5, 7.

The profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 substantially consists of ahorizontal retaining leg 10 on which a substantially vertical coveringleg 11 is integrally formed as a bent-off portion. The retaining leg 10has countersunk holes which are penetrated by retaining means 12 in theform of screws 12. These screws 12 fix the edge protector 5 to the tread3 of the stair 2.

The profiled rail 7 is provided on its upper side, in the region of thescrew 12, with a dovetail-shaped groove 13 into which a strip 14 isclamped. This strip 14 covers the screw 12 and simultaneously serves toprovide an anti-slip surface by way of its grooves 15 runninglongitudinally to the profiled rail 5. The level of safety when steppingon the stair 2 is increased in this way.

The retaining leg 10 has a connecting part 17 at an end 16 opposite thecovering leg 11. A groove 18 of asymmetrical design is formed in thisconnecting part 17. This groove 18 serves to receive a tongue 19 of thecladding element 9. The groove 18 and tongue 19 here are not designed tomatch one another. Free spaces remain between them both and these allowthe cladding element 9 to be readily clicked into the connecting part17. As an alternative, it would also be possible to design the groove 18and tongue 19 to match one another. The connecting part 17 has its upperside designed flush with the cladding element 9.

The profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 of the stair 2 has a similarstructure to the profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6, which means thatonly the differences between the two will be discussed in the textbelow.

The retaining leg 10 is screwed directly to the riser 4 by means of thescrew 12. However, no strip has been provided to cover the screw 12.Instead, covering is performed directly by the cladding element 9. Thecovering leg 11 is bent round through approximately 90° towards thetread, with the bend not being formed at a sharp angle but rather withan approximately constant curvature. A spring action for the coveringleg 10 is achieved by providing an incision 20 in the transition regionto the connecting part 17.

The above-described arrangement is advantageously mounted from thebottom up, starting with the lowermost profiled rail 7 for the inneredge 8 being securely screwed to the lowermost riser 4. The claddingelement 9 for covering the riser 4 is then clicked into the connectingpart 17. This first entails positioning the cladding element 9 at anacute angle to the connecting part 17 and pressing it into the groove 18therein. The cladding element 9 is then pivoted into the positionrepresented in FIG. 1, thereby latching the tongue 19 of the claddingelement 9 in the groove 18 of the connecting part 17. This ensures anexact fit of the cladding element 9 at the connecting part 17.

After mounting the cladding element 9 for the riser 4, the adjoiningprofiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 is mounted. For this purpose, theprofiled rail 5 is first placed on the tread 3 without strip 14 andscrewed to the tread 3. In the process, the edge protector 5 is pressedslightly in the horizontal direction so that the covering leg 11 ispressed against the already mounted cladding element 9 for the riser 4.An exact fit of the cladding element 9 is ensured in this way.

The cladding element 9 for covering the tread 3 is then clicked into thegroove 18 of the connecting part 17 in the same way as described above.The strip 14 can now be pressed into the dovetail-shaped groove 13 toconceal the screws 12. The cladding element 9 for covering the tread 3is fixed as a result of mounting the next profiled rail 7 for thefollowing inner edge 8 by the covering leg 11 pressing against thecladding element 9. Use is made here of the spring effect of thecovering leg 11 produced by the incision 20.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the arrangement 1 according toFIG. 1, with identical reference numbers being used to designateidentical parts. Only the differences from the embodiment according toFIG. 1 will be discussed in the text below.

The stair 2 is provided in the region of the outer edge 6 with a nosing21, which makes vertical mounting of the cladding element 9 for claddingthe riser 4 considerably more difficult. For this reason, the connectingpart 17 of the profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 is inclined withrespect to the embodiment according to FIG. 1. This makes it possiblefor the cladding element 9 to be clicked into the connecting part 11 atthe desired angle.

To enable the profiled rail 7 to be adapted to different stairs 2 havingnosings 21 which differ in each case, the connecting part 17 of theprofiled rail 7 is connected via a spring element 22 to the retainingleg 10. This spring element 22 is substantially formed by incisions 23which form a predetermined bending point for the profiled rail 7. Whenthe spring element 22 is in the unstressed position, the groove 18 isinclined towards the vertical 25 by an acute angle 24. This ensures thatthe connection between the cladding element 9 and the connecting part 17is secure even when the stair 2 has relatively large nosings 21.

If, by contrast, the nosing 21 is smaller, with the result that thecladding element 9 is to be mounted more steeply than represented inFIG. 2, the connecting part 17 is pivoted in the anticlockwise directionwith the assistance of the lever action of the cladding element 9, sothat the cladding element 9 again bears against the riser 4. It is onlywhen the profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 is mounted that theconnecting part 17 is caused to pivot as a result of the covering leg 11bearing against the cladding element 9.

The shape of the grooves 18 of the connecting parts 17 is designed tomatch the shape of the tongues 19 of the cladding elements 9. Thisensures a particularly firm fit of the cladding elements 9 in theprofiled rails 5, 7.

In order to dispense with the strip 14, the retaining leg 10 of theprofiled rail 5 is designed to be thin enough that it comes to lie underthe cladding element 9. The cladding element 9 therefore covers theretaining means 12. This gives the arrangement 1 a particularly simplestructure.

Since some exemplary embodiments of the present invention have not beenshown or described, it should be understood that a large number ofchanges and modifications to these described exemplary embodiments arepossible without departing from the essential concept and the scope ofprotection of the invention as defined by the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   Arrangement-   Stair-   Tread-   Riser-   Profiled rail-   Outer edge-   Profiled rail-   Inner edge-   Cladding element-   Retaining leg-   Covering leg-   Retaining means-   Groove-   Strip-   Groove-   End-   Connecting part-   Groove-   Tongue-   Incision-   Nosing-   Spring element-   Incision-   Angle-   Vertical

1. Arrangement for cladding a stair, the arrangement comprising at leastone profiled rail which can be fixed to the stair, characterized in thatthe profiled rail comprises at least one connecting part with anundercut groove or tongue into which a cladding element can be securelyclicked by positioning the cladding element and the connecting part atan angle relative to one another and pressing into the groove or tongue.2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiledrail is designed to have its outer side flush with the cladding element.3. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiledrail comprises at least one retaining leg which bears a retaining meansfor fixing to the stair.
 4. Arrangement according to claim 3,characterized in that the retaining means is formed by a screw which isconcealed by a strip or the cladding element.
 5. Arrangement accordingto claim 4, characterized in that the strip is of anti-slip design. 6.Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiledrail comprises a covering leg which forms an angle with the retainingleg and which presses the cladding element against the stair. 7.Arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the covering legis designed to be springy.
 8. Arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that at least one spring element is provided betweenthe connecting part and the retaining leg in order to adapt the angle ofthe connecting part.
 9. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterizedin that the connecting part is arranged in such a way that the claddingelement extends at an acute angle to the riser of the stair.